Bike carriers at Hollandbikeshop.com - super-fast delivery!

What bike carriers are there?

When transporting your prized (electric) bicycle by car, you need a solid, sturdy bike carrier. Fortunately, there are various options available: 

Bike racks for the tow bar

A tow bar bike rack makes it easy to transport one or several bicycles, no matter where you’re going. This type of bike carrier has a high carrying capacity and improved aerodynamics while driving, compared to a loaded roof carrier. 

View all our tow bar bike racks 

Bike racks for cars without a tow bar

No tow bar? No problem. Even without a tow bar, you can transport your bicycle(s). Using a rear-mounted carrier, for example! This carrier type is designed specifically for tailgate mounting and will fit nearly any car. They’re lightweight and easy to install.
 
View all our bike racks for rear mounting

Bike racks for electric bicycles

For safe transport of your heavy / electric bicycle from point A to B, we offer high-quality bike racks suitable to carry any weight. The carrier you choose should have the capacity to carry your electric bicycle’s weight, as electric bicycles are usually much heavier than your average bicycle.

View our bike racks for e-bikes

Car roof bike racks

A roof rack for bicycles could be exactly what you need when you don’t have a tow bar or feel more comfortable transporting your bicycle(s) on the roof of your car. There are different roof carriers available for different bicycle types, so you can be sure that if you’re buying a mountain bike roof carrier, your mountain bike will fit on it perfectly. These days, having luggage rails on the roof of your car is no longer a prerequisite; many bike carriers now come with a mounting system that does not require rails.

View our roof racks

Wheel carriers

There are roof carriers for the entire bicycle, as well as carriers for just the wheel(s). For instance: if you have a set of spare wheels that won’t fit inside your car, why not put them on top of it?

View our wheel carriers

Indoor bicycle carriers

With an indoor bicycle carrier, your bicycle(s) will be safe, dry and always right in your field of vision - provided you have the space in the back of your vehicle. They’re easy to install and available in different versions, for one, two or three bicycles.

View our indoor bike carriers

Bike bags & bicycle suitcases

We’re not talking about panniers, we mean actual bags to put your bicycle in. Convenient bags, made of flexible materials, that let you transport your bicycle. One advantage to the bike bag is that your bicycle is safe and covered on all sides during transport. This bag type is actually mandatory when you’re traveling by airplane, though to be fair, it’s just a very convenient travel accessory all around, whether you’re going on holiday or heading out to a competition.

View our bike bags

One downside to the bike bag is its vulnerability when compared to a bicycle suitcase; bags are less sturdy. Bicycle suitcases are usually sturdy and robust on the outside and it matters less whether you put them on top of the car or elsewhere. They can also be locked for additional protection.

View our bicycle suitcases

What do you look for when buying a bike rack?

There are different things to factor in when shopping for a bike rack, though there are some things that are relevant regardless of type:

•    Location
•    The number of bicycles
•    Weight

Proper lighting and a special license plate for the carrier (in the Netherlands, a white license plate is required by law) are also important. Furthermore, make sure that the bikes on your carrier do not stick out too far, and that there are no sharp edges or corners sticking out.
We’ll explain what to look for in different bike carrier types below.
 

What is the best bike rack for you?

Where do you want the bike rack to be, and what kind of bicycle (and how many of them) would you like to transport? Knowing the answer to these questions helps a lot. To make your search for the perfect bike carrier even easier, we’ve made a list of the various pros and cons for each carrier type.
 

Bike carriers for the tow bar

Bike carriers for tow bar mounting are easy to install and have a high carrying capacity, often up to as much as 30 kilos per bicycle. Many models also have a tilting mechanism, so you can still easily reach your trunk, even with the bike carrier already installed. Additionally, most models are now suitable for e-bikes (note: not all models are suitable for e-bikes). 

 

Pros:	Cons:
- Easy to install and often delivered ready for use - Has several mounting parts to properly fasten your bicycles to the carrier, like straps and frame holders - Suitable for up to 4 regular bicycles / 3 e-bikes thanks to its high carrying capacity - Less lifting required thanks to the built-in lifter or (optional) loading ramps on certain models	- Tow bar carriers tend to be more expensive than other bike carriers - They require a tow bar - In the Netherlands, a white license plate for the carrier is required by law - Not all models are easy to install - This type of carrier is prone to theft

   















 

Rear-mounted bike carriers

Pros:	Cons:
- No need for a tow bar - Can transport up to 3 bicycles - More affordable than tow bar carriers - A white license plate is not required by law for this carrier type in the Netherlands	- Because of their low carrying capacity (about 15 kilos per bicycle) they’re only suitable for lighter bicycles (not for electric bicycles) - Not as sturdy as a tow bar carrier - Rear-mounted bike carriers don’t fit on every car - It’s not always possible to access your trunk once the carrier is installed - this depends on the carrier type

    



   






 

Roof carriers

Pros:

Cons:

- With a roof carrier, you can transport up to 3 bicycles (around 20 kilos per bicycle)  - No tow bar needed, and you can always reach the trunk - A white license plate is not required by law (in the Netherlands)  - Buying this type of carrier won’t break the bank, which is definitely nice

- They increase the total height of your car; this is important when entering and exiting tunnels and parking garages, but it also means more drag (increased wind resistance), resulting in higher fuel consumption and possible noise pollution - Your bicycle will be less secure on this carrier type, despite the fact that carriers these days have more and better fasteners - These carriers are not easy to mount, are more prone to damaging paintwork, and lastly, they involve more lifting

    












    

Wheel carriers

We can be brief when it comes to wheel carriers. They’re very convenient when you’re looking to transport an extra set of wheels, but (extra) wheels is all they can carry.
 

Can you put an e-bike on the bike carrier?

Technically, you can always put an electric bicycle on the bike carrier - provided that you keep a few things in mind. As with shopping for any bike carrier, the main things to be aware of when picking out a carrier suitable for electric bicycles are:

•    The electric bicycle’s weight
•    The bike carrier’s weight 
•    The draw bar load or maximum load capacity of the tow bar
 

The electric bicycle’s weight

Most electric bicycles weigh between 20 and 30 kilos. You can lower the total weight by about 3 kilos if you remove the battery before transport. Removing the battery (if possible) is actually recommended, as you run less risk of damaging the battery while on the road. 
 

Bike carrier weight

The weight of the carrier may vary, depending on the specific model and materials. On average, bike carriers weigh around 18 kilos, though there are some exceptions; there are models weighing as little as 5 kilos, and models that weigh as much as 25 kilos. 
Always keep the carrier’s weight in mind; this is part of the total weight you’ll be putting on the tow bar.
 

Draw bar load / maximum load capacity

For most passenger cars, the draw bar load or maximum load capacity of the tow bar is between 50 and 70 kilos. You can find the maximum weight on the tow bar’s plate (often indicated with “max. tow bar capacity”).
Once you know this, it’s a matter of adding the weight of the electric bicycle and the bike carrier together. If the total is under the indicated maximum load capacity, you’re safe.

For example: Your electric bicycle weighs 30 kilos and the carrier is 11 kilos, with your maximum load capacity is 50 kilos. With the total weight of your bicycle and carrier being 41 kilos, you’re well under the maximum.

That brings us to the following: you’ll often only be able to transport one e-bike at a time, since they tend to be quite heavy and most bike carriers can only carry up to 50 kilos. 
We recommend finding a bike carrier that is specifically built to be able to carry electric bicycles. There are various brands that produce bike carriers for electric bicycles, like Twinny Load, XLC, Thule, Pro-User and Hapro.
 

Buy your bike rack at Hollandbikeshop

Hollandbikeshop is a bike rack dealer. We often have bike racks on sale or in our outlet by top brands like Pro-User, Thule, Hapro, Spinder, Minoura and Atera. Hollandbikeshop.com is the number 1 bike shop for all your bike carriers and parts. We have the widest range of bicycle parts (over 100,000) available for stock.